Being Bullied? Start Here

Welcome.

To help you get started, read the material below to make a difference in your health and your life. This website is for you and supportive or skeptical family and friends. You will find answers to your many questions. Take your time reading through it. Dealing with emotional abuse triggers strong emotions. It's normal. Return as many times as it takes you to cover all the sections.

Please know two things:

• You are not alone
• You did not cause bullying to happen

Bullying is a systematic campaign of interpersonal destruction that jeopardizes your health, your career, the job you once loved. Bullying is a non-physical, non-homicidal form of violence and, because it is violence and abusive, emotional harm frequently results. You may not be the first person to have noticed that you were bullied. Check to see how many of these indicators match yours.

Remember, you did not cause bullying to happen. We've broken down the major reasons why bullies bully. The primary reason bullying occurs so frequently in workplaces is that bullying is not yet illegal. Bullying is four times more common than either sexual harassment or racial discrimination on the job.

Should you confront the bully? If you could have, you would have. Instead, use the WBI-suggested 3-Step Method. Remember, put your health first. Don't believe the lies told about you. Spend time with loved ones and friends. At times of debilitating stress like this, you must not be isolated. Isolation will only make the stress worse.

As we said, to date, no U.S. state has passed an anti-bullying law for the workplace.

Cautionary note: We have put a lot of material here at this website so bullied targets and their families can better understand what has happened to them and what could be done. If you found us early in your bullying, during an especially cruel and acute phase, simply reading about bullying can trigger strong negative emotions. This is normal. Please stop reading and come back later to dig back into the resources here for you. Take your time. It will get easier to digest as you get away from the start of the psychological assaults to which you have been subjected.

Be safe. Make your personal health your priority.

Dr. Gary Namie & Dr. Ruth Namie